Retail location services

ABSTRACT

Methods of preparing retail establishments are disclosed. An area for a retail location may be chosen and an individual may be selected to manage the retail location. The selection of the area may include an evaluation of geographical factors. From the area, a retail location may be selected based on an aggregate score of a set of characteristics of the retail location. The individual may remotely select the layout and furnishing of the retail location and may remotely monitor the progress of the preparation of the retail location. In an embodiment, the individual may be prepared to manage the retail location at a centralized location that is distinct from the area where the retail location is located.

This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No.60/773,946, filed Feb. 16, 2006, and also claims priority to provisionalapplication Ser. No. 60/743,295, filed Feb. 15, 2006, both of which areincorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of site development, moreparticularly to the field of retail location development in theinsurance industry.

2. Description of Related Art

The use of a retail location in the insurance industry is known.Typically the retail location will include a phone and one or moreindividual offices. While the use of retail locations is known, problemsexist for companies attempting to expand into new areas. Often a companymay require that a retail location have a certain look or design, whichrequires a floor plan large enough to accommodate the requirements.However, it may not be preferable to build a new building to house theretail location. This is especially true if the retail location isrelatively small or if there is a limited amount of available space toconstruct new buildings. Therefore, retail locations are often placed inexisting buildings, which often must be modified or built out before itis suitable for use. For example, but without limitation, a retaillocation may be in a business park configured and directed towardproviding office space for professionals. Another non-limiting exampleof where a retail location may be found is a stand-alone building whichmay be partially or completely zoned for commercial use. As can beappreciated, these retail locations may be adjacent to the retaillocations of other business. Frequently, the retail location may beleased.

When a company is attempting to expand into a new area or add additionalretail locations to provide greater coverage of an existing area, oftenthere may not be anyone with knowledge of the local real estate marketwithin the company who is available to work on finding and building outthe retail location. Furthermore, if the new retail location is anexpanded location (e.g. adds to the capacity or number of offices of thecompany), there will not be an existing individual to run the office.

In some circumstances, insurance retail locations are run by agencyprincipals. The agency principal may be responsible for the retaillocation, for offering insurance products, for generating a portfolio ofbusiness and for insuring the retail location provides the requiredlevel of service in accordance with company guidelines. However, the useof agency principals can create problems during the start-up of a newretail location. For example, opening a new insurance retail locationwith a new agency principal for the purpose of offering insurancerequires both an appropriately designed retail location along with anagency principal having the appropriate qualifications so that theindividual can offer insurance with sufficient expertise to meet orexceed company policies and procedures. If the agency principal is new,training may be required and the agency principal may find if difficultto participate in the preparation of the new retail location. Currentmethods of preparing an operative retail location therefore tend tocreate undesirable delays or require the company to be more involved inthe real estate market than is desirable. Thus, a method of improvingthe ability of a company to expand into new markets is needed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following represents a simplified summary of some embodiments of theinvention in order to provide a basic understanding of various aspectsof the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of theinvention nor is it intended to identify key or critical elements of theinvention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purposeis to present some embodiments of the invention in simplified form as aprelude to the more detailed description that is presented thereafter.

Aspects of the present invention are directed toward methods ofpreparing an operative retail location. In an embodiment, a geographicalarea is determined for placing a new retail location. The preparation ofthe retail location is monitored in a first development track whilepreparation of an agency principal is monitored in a second developmenttrack. In an embodiment, both tracks begin after the geographical areais determined and both development tracks conclude at substantially thesame time.

Certain aspects of the present invention can be partially or whollyimplemented with a computer-readable medium, for example, by storingcomputer-executable instructions or modules, or by utilizingcomputer-readable data structures.

As can be appreciated, the methods and systems of the above-referencedembodiments also may include other additional elements, steps,computer-executable instructions, or computer-readable data structures.

The details of these and other embodiments of the present invention a.eset forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Otherfeatures and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thedescription and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitedin the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicatesimilar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of a computer system that may be used toimplement aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a method of adding an operative retail location inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a method of selecting a site for a retail location inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method of preparing a retail location in accordancewith an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method of preparing an agency principal inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic of a system layout for use in preparingthe operative retail location in accordance with an aspect of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a retail location in accordance withan aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a retail location inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Exemplary Operating Environment

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a computer system that may be used toimplement aspects of the invention. A plurality of terminals, such asterminals 102 and 104, may be coupled to an agency computer 106, via anetwork 108. In an embodiment, the terminal 102 may be located in apotential agency principal's home or wherever the individual is located.The agency computer 106 may be coupled to a data solutions transactionmanager computer 110, which is described in detail below. The agencycomputer 106 provides potential agency principals with a user interfaceon terminals 102 and 104 for displaying policy information anddecisions, and enables the potential agency principals to interact withdata solutions transaction manager computer 110. Alternatively, theagency computer 106 may be omitted and the terminals 102, 104 mayconnect directly to the computer 110. In an embodiment this connectionmay be through a virtual private network in a known manner.

Optional workstations, such as workstations 112, 114 and 116 may also becoupled to data solutions transaction manager computer 110 via a network118. In some embodiments of the invention, automated processes may beused in place of risk evaluation workstations. In alternativeembodiments, the workstations 112, 114 and 116 may be general purposecomputers not limited to risk evaluation. Workstations 112, 114 and 116and terminals 102 and 104 may require information from external datasources to evaluate a potential insured party. In addition, one or moreof the terminals and/or the workstations may be used to query thirdparties to obtain information regarding the progress of projects.Requests for such information may be transmitted via data solutionstransaction manager computer 110 to a data gathering system 120. Datagathering system 120 may include a processor, memory and otherconventional computer components and may be programmed withcomputer-executable instructions to communicate with other computerdevices. Data gathering system 120 may access external sources ofinformation, such as information vendors 122, 124 and 126 via theInternet 128. Alternatively, the workstations and/or the terminals mayaccess the information vendors 122, 124, 126 directly. Informationvendors may include state agencies that provide motor vehicle recordsfor the citizens of that state, vendors that provide credit reports,vendors that provide actuarial data and vendors that provide other datathat may be used to evaluate insurance risks. Information vendors mayalso include real estate vendors, real estate brokers, contractors, andvideo camera feeds provided from on-site locations. As can beappreciated, the method of contacting and providing information may varydepending on the need for security and confidentiality and to accountfor regulatory requirements.

Data solutions transaction manager 110 may be programmed withcomputer-executable instructions to receive requests for data from workstations 112, 114 and 116 and terminals 102 and 104, format the requestsand transmit the requests to data gathering system 120. In oneembodiment of the invention, requests for data are in the form ofdocuments that are in extensible markup language (XML) format, howeverany other format may also be used. Data solutions transaction manager110 may also be coupled to a data manager computer device 130 that canaccess customer data or other data stored in a data repository 132. Inan embodiment, all data gathered on a site or a set of potential sitesis stored in data repository 132 so that when additional requests aremade for the same data, the data may quickly be obtained withoutrequesting it from information vendors 122, 124 and 126. Data repository132 may be implemented with a group of networked server computers orother storage devices.

Agency computer 106, if included, may provide insurance agents with auser interface on terminals 102 and 104 for displaying policyinformation and decisions, and may enable the potential agency principalto interact with data solutions transaction manager 110. The userinterface may also allow an insurance agent to perform a variety offunctions, such as entering customer data into prequalification policytemplates, updating existing policy files, displaying decision results,entering customer data requests and changes to policy data, and orderingany available data for a particular customer from participatinginformation vendors.

In an embodiment, potential agency principals may also accessinformation without the use of terminals 102 and 104. For example, apotential agency principal may use a computing device, which may be aportable hand held computer such as but not limited to, a PDA or smartphone or the like that is connected to agency computer 106 and/or datasolutions transaction manager 110 via the Internet or some other widearea network. The potential agency principal's computing device may usea user interface that allows the potential agency principal to performsome or all of the same functions described with respect to terminals102 and 104.

One or more of the computer devices and terminals shown in FIG. 1 mayinclude a variety of interface units and drives for reading and writingdata or files. One skilled in the art will appreciate that networks 108,118 and 128 are for illustration purposes and may be replaced with feweror additional computer networks. One or more networks may be in the formof a local area network (LAN) that has one or more of the well-known LANtopologies and may use a variety of different protocols, such asEthernet. One or more of the networks may be in the form of a wide areanetwork (WAN), such as the Internet. Computer devices and other devicesmay be connected to one or more of the networks via twisted pair wires,coaxial cable, fiber optics, radio waves or other media.

The term “network” as used herein and depicted in the drawings should bebroadly interpreted to include not only systems in which remote storagedevices are coupled together via one or more communication paths, butalso stand-alone devices that may be coupled, from time to time, to suchsystems that have storage capability. Consequently, the term “network”includes not only a “physical network” but also a “content network,”which is comprised of the data—attributable to a single entity—whichresides across all physical networks.

Exemplary Embodiments

In the detailed description that follows, various steps of methods aredisclosed. It is noted that the disclosed methods are exemplary and thatthe order of these steps may be varied and that one or more of thedisclosed steps may be omitted if not needed and that additional stepsmay be added.

In one aspect of the invention, an operative retail location isdeveloped. The operative retail location involves a physical retaillocation and an agency principal. A retail location can be a space thatallows for customer interactions and the conduct of business. A retaillocation may include one or more welcome/reception areas, transactionareas such as conference rooms, private offices, staff workstations,secured and locked file storage, play areas for children andtransitional zones to move from one area to another. In addition,communication devices such as phones, computers, wireless devices andother communication devices and other features found in offices orretail establishments may also be included. The retail link may includea link, which may be intermittent and may be encrypted or otherwisesecured, with the company database.

An agency principal may be an independent contractor of a company suchas an insurance company. The agency principal may have some or all ofthe responsibility for developing, maintaining and running a business,such as an insurance agency business. The agency principal may be themain individual responsible for the operation of a particular retaillocation. The agency principal, in some embodiments, may be responsiblefor assuring that customers are provided with high-quality, professionaltreatment and may be the main person responsible for developingadditional business.

In some aspects of the invention, a retail location may need to becreated or further developed and an agency principal may need to beprepared. In an embodiment of the invention, the process of developing aretail location and the process for preparing an agency principal followparallel tracks. One track involves the build-out or development of theretail location. The other track involves the preparation of the agencyprincipal. In some embodiments, the track concerning the build-out ofthe retail location is designed to be completed substantiallysimultaneously with the training of the agency principal. Substantiallysimultaneously does not require that two events occur simultaneously.Substantially simultaneously means that two events are completed inclose time proximity to each other relative to the amount of time forthe event to be completed. Events that occur substantiallysimultaneously include events that occur within 15% of the total timerequired for an event to be completed. Thus, if the development of aretail location takes place in thirty days, an event that is completedwithin four and a half days (i.e. 15% of thirty days) of the completionof the development of the retail location would be said to have beencompleted substantially simultaneously with the completion of thedevelopment of the retail location. In other embodiments, the trackconcerning the build-out of the retail location is completed before orafter the training of the agency principal. Moreover, more than oneagency principal can be involved with a particular retail location.

In some embodiments, developing the retail location requires determiningthe site for the retail location. Numerous factors can be evaluated indetermining the appropriateness of a site. These factors may include,but are not limited to: accessibility, visibility, availability ofparking, ease of finding the site, proximity to readily discernablelandmarks, proximity to other desirable retail establishments, distancefrom non-desirable retail establishments, cost, and attractiveness ofthe setting. Each of these factors can be given a weight related to therelative importance of the factor. An analysis can be performed on thefactors and their relative weights by a computer, processor orotherwise. Based on this analysis, potentially suitable sites can beplaced into classes of suitability and ranked. Among these potentiallysuitable sites, a particular site can be selected. It should be notedthat a location with a particular factor that is especially exceptionalmay be chosen even though the average value of all the factors for thatsite is not greater than some other competing site. Thus, a site withthe highest average score may not be always be selected. Additionaldetails regarding the selection of retail locations is found in U.S.provisional Ser. No. 60/743,295, filed Feb. 15, 2006, which isincorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

Developing the retail location may also require a build out. A build outmay include constructing a new building or office. A build out also mayrequire renovating an existing building or office. The build out mayinvolve the creation or renovation of reception areas, offices, wiring,divided spaces, displays, conference rooms, storage areas, signage, lowvoltage wiring for computer and telephone hook-up, built in receptiondesk/workstation, computer facilities, network and Internetinfrastructure, communication structure facilities and wirelesscommunication structures.

In an embodiment, development of the retail location also may includelinking the retail location to a company database. The company databasecan be managed or operated by a central organization (e.g., the company)which may have numerous retail locations. In some embodiments, thecompany may be an insurance company and the retail location may offerproducts or services provided through or by the insurance company. Theretail location may offer products or services of only one company. Theretail location also may offer products and services provided by morethan one company. The company database may be a central database whichstores information regarding products, services, customers, retaillocations, industry data or other information. The company database mayalso include agency office site characteristics such as type ofcommercial property, size of the office, office layout, office features,and type of neighboring businesses. The link between the retail locationand the company database may be a hard wired connection, may existthrough an Internet linking and may exist through a dedicated wired orwireless connection (that may be direct or indirect).

In an aspect of the invention a relationship is created or is furtherdeveloped between an agency principal and a company. In an embodiment,the company is an insurance company and the agency principal is aninsurance agent of the insurance company. The agency principal maymanage the retail location, which may include interaction with customersand the company, providing products and services to assist customers,hiring and training of staff and assistants and additional managementfunctions.

The agency principal may need to be prepared. This preparation mayinclude education and training regarding industry and company standardsand procedures, products and services, rules and regulations andbusiness operations. This preparation in some embodiments may beconducted by or at the company, remotely by the individual, by athird-party or in other manners. Preparation may include, in someembodiments, shadowing of an existing agency principal or training by anexisting agency principal at a separate retail location.

In an aspect of the invention, the potential agency principal must passa screening process. This screening process may include analyzing theeducational and vocational background of the potential agency principal,analyzing the potential agency principal's history regarding anyinfractions or violations of rules or statutes, and testing the agencyprincipal regarding products and services as well as general andspecific aptitudes. The potential agency principal also may be requiredto meet minimum qualifications. These minimum qualifications may includethat the potential agency principal obtain the required licenses orpermits necessary to offer products or services in the particularjurisdiction of the retail location, obtain satisfactory resultsregarding industry, product, service, aptitude or overall testing oranalysis, or additional qualifications. In an aspect of the invention,the company, the potential agency principal or a third-party maydetermine whether the agency principal is ready to manage a retaillocation. This determination may include determining whether the agencyprincipal has passed the required aspects of a screening process andwhether the agency principal has met the minimum qualifications requiredto function effectively as an agency principal.

In an aspect of the invention, the development of the retail locationand the preparation of the agency principal may begin substantiallysimultaneously. In another aspect of the invention, the development ofthe retail location and the preparation of the agency principal may becompleted substantially simultaneously. In another aspect of theinvention, the development of the retail location and the preparation ofthe agency principal may begin and be completed substantiallysimultaneously. In another aspect of the invention, the development ofthe retail location and the preparation of the agency principal are notbegun or completed substantially simultaneously.

Turning now to FIG. 2, an embodiment of a method of preparing anoperative retail location is depicted. First in step 210, a geographicarea is chosen. More will be said about this step with respect to FIG.3; however, depending on the desired scale the geographic area and theability to determine various factors, the geographical area may be acounty, a city, a zip code, a neighborhood, a city block or even aparticular location on a city block.

After the geographical area is chosen, an individual may be recruitedand the precise placement of the retail location may be ascertained. Ascan be appreciated, it can be useful to synchronize the training of anagency principal with the preparation of a retail location. Therefore,track 211 and track 212 may be performed substantially simultaneouslyafter the geographic area is decided.

As aspects of the present invention are directed toward completing track211 and 212 substantially simultaneously, planning the development ofthe retail location so that both tracks 211, 212 are completedsubstantially simultaneously is helpful. In an embodiment, the endresult for each track can be determined (such as a trained and licensedagent principal and a finished retail location). The prerequisites forthe final step to obtain the desired results can be determined. Then,the prerequisites for the prerequisites of the final step can bedetermined. By repeating this process and going backward through thedevelopment process and determining the prerequisite steps for eachsubsequent step, the needed steps for each track can be determined.Information provided from various information vendors 122, 124, 126(FIG. 1) can be used to help determine the needed steps and theapproximate time needed to complete each step. From this information, aproject chart can be generated that lists each step in a chronologicalfashion so that it is apparent which steps need to be completed beforeother steps are started. In an embodiment, the project chart may be aGant chart. The project chart may be displayed on one of theworkstations or agent terminals (as shown in FIG. 1) in response to arequest and may be stored in data repository 132. In addition, updatesmay be provided so that the current status of the project is apparentupon viewing a display depicting the project chart.

Available input can be used in configuring the project chart and thegeneration of the project chart may automatically incorporatelimitations on personal availability. Availability of particularresources such as information technology personnel may be used todetermine when a particular retail location can be linked up with thecompany and made operational. Furthermore, reviews and approval ofcertain steps may be synchronized with the availability of neededindividuals so that neither track is unnecessarily delayed waiting forapproval of a particular step.

Looking now at track 211, in step 215, the site of the retail locationis chosen. This site may be selected from one of two or more possiblesites that met a minimum set of demographic criteria. For example, asite in a business district may be desirable while a site in anindustrial area may be unacceptable. The data for selecting the site maybe provided over a network such as described in FIG. 1 between aninformation vendor 122 and a risk evaluator workstation 112 and localreal estate agents can be utilized to provide much of the data.Furthermore, if two or more sites are available then the preferred sitemay be determined by generating a site score for each site. In anembodiment, variables relating to known factors that make a locationdesirable can be evaluated to determine a value for each variable. Thevariables may be assigned weights depending on their relativeimportance. Sample variables include, but are not limited to,accessibility, visibility, availability of parking, ease of finding thesite, proximity to readily discernable landmarks, proximity to otherdesirable retail establishments, distance from non-desirable retailestablishments, cost, attractiveness of the building and attractivenessof the surroundings. Other factors may also be considered and values maybe assigned to variables representing these factors. In addition,variables such as those representing the accessibility and availabilityof parking may be given greater weight than proximity to discernablelandmarks or the attractiveness of the building.

Once the values are determined, a site score may be calculated based onthese values. One of the simplest ways to generate the site score is tosimply sum up the values, taking into account any weights given toparticular variables. Other methods may include additional computationalsteps such as dividing the score by the variance or other methods thatare determined to be appropriate. Additional methods of generating atotal value based on the value of a set of inputs are only limited bythe creativity of the individual.

To provide details and information potentially useful in generating thesite score, information vendors may provide information regarding eachlocation. The information may include, but is not limited to, picturesof the building in which the potential retail location is located, oneor more views of the surroundings, an overhead view showing streets andparking layout, a view from the potential retail site, and other usefulpieces of information including cost estimates for tenant improvements(which may be provided by a real estate agent/broker), the currentzoning status, rental costs, and square footage available.

Part of the site selection may involve obtaining a lease for the site.The negotiation of the lease, which may take place over a network suchas disclosed in FIG. 1, may include a request for certain provisionssuch as a termination clause to allow early termination of the lease, arenewal option to extend the lease, an abandonment clause to allow foran empty site for a period of time, a right to refuse a landlord'srequest to relocate, the allocation of repair costs or limits on repaircosts for items such as the HVAC system, and the lease period being lessthan 5 years.

Next in step 220, the build out materials are selected. This may includethe selection of materials such as those used in the construction of anynecessary walls with the understanding that walls should be configuredso as to provide the needed privacy where appropriate. In an embodimentthis may include the selection of office furniture and the layout of theoffice along with any improvements needed to make the office spacefunctional and in keeping with company policies. Depending on companypolicies, retail locations may be developed in accordance with astandard design that is expected to be used for all retail locations,and if so, the furniture and the layout should match the standard designwhile taking into account any regional difference that suggests amodification of the standard design. In an alternative embodiment, twoor more standard designs may be available so that the potential agencyprincipal can choose the style that bests fits the individual'spersonality. The selection may be done over a network and mayincorporate the exterior view of the retail location so that a moretailored retail location is provided. In accordance with certain aspectsof the present invention, the design may include a reception area, aconference room and one or more offices to allow for the assistance ofcustomers and clients.

In step 225, the build out process can be coordinated. In an embodiment,a portion of the coordination may be outsourced by using a build outmanager. In an alternative embodiment, the potential agency principalmay ensure the build out takes place in a desired manner. In anembodiment, at least a portion of the coordination may take place over anetwork so as to avoid the need for constant on-site supervision. Forexample, the third party may negotiate the lease, may hire andcoordinate any improvements to the retail location, and may coordinatefurniture and office equipment delivery and installation, among othertasks. It should be noted that if a third party is commissioned withhandling most of the retail location development details, it will beless likely that either an employee of the company or the potentialagency principal will need to personally visit the site. However, boththe company and the potential agency principal may want to visuallyinspect the build out process periodically to verify the build out is toexpected standards. Furthermore, progress reports can be provided sothat potential issues with timing can be determined before it is toolate to take remedial action to avoid potential delays. In anembodiment, visual inspections may be done with video equipment that maybe configured to accept remote controls and provide a video feed to aremote viewer.

As can be appreciated, the report process may be automated so that,prior to a milestone, a check on the progress can be provided. Thereport can include a confidence level regarding the expectation ofmeeting the milestone deadline. Multiple issues with meeting milestonedeadlines may provide an indication that the final deadline is lesslikely to be met and can be used to provide an indication to the companyand the individual preparing to become an agency principal of possibledelays.

In step 230, the retail location is linked to the company database inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As can beappreciated, it is useful to have any computers that are intended to beused for this link installed prior to establishing the link. Thus, it ishelpful to have the build out of the retail location substantiallycomplete before beginning step 230. The linking may include the loadingof software onto one or more devices. Alternatively, it may involve theinstallation of one or more pieces of hardware. It should be noted thatthe link may be intermittent. To provide security, in an embodiment thelink may be provided over a dedicated communication line. In analternative embodiment, the link may be provided over a shared wide areanetwork, such as the Internet, through a VPN or other encrypted meanstypically used for connecting remote sites together so that they canshare confidential information over an otherwise unsecured network. Inan embodiment, the link can allow the agency principal in the retaillocation to have access to company information so that the agencyprincipal can effectively offer customers insurance solutions.

As depicted, the steps in track 212 are being performed concurrentlywith the steps in track 211. It should be noted, however, that varioussteps may have different start and end times and the depicted method ismerely representative of a two track method of preparing an operativeretail location. Thus, for example, step 235 might start at about thesame time as step 215 but might end well before step 215 ends.

In step 235, a potential agency principal is recruited or identified. Inan embodiment, this may involve automatically selecting individuals withpredetermined qualifications from individuals that have applied for arelated position using the company's recruiting website. In analternative embodiment, a set of individuals may be provided so as tofacilitate an interview process. Once an individual is selected and itis determined that the individual desires to work in the geographiclocation, next in step 240, the individual is screened.

It should be noted that changes to company policy and varying regulatoryrequirements may cause the screening process to change, both over timeand with respect to a locale. In an embodiment, the screening processmay include, but is not limited to, items such as an aptitude test, acredit check and a determination that any necessary educationalprerequisites are met. In an embodiment, one requirement of thescreening process may be that the individual is above average on one ormore aptitude tests. The screening process may allow a screening scoreto be developed so that a determination of whether the individual meetsthe minimum requirements can be made. In an embodiment, the results ofthe screening process, which may be performed, at least in part, by oneor more information vendors 122, may be provided over the network. In analternative embodiment, the screening score itself may be provided overthe network. The total screening score, taking into account all thevarious checks, may be compared to determine whether the individualmeets the minimum qualifications.

Once the screening processing is complete, the potential agencyprincipal may be approved in step 245. As part of the approval process,a determination of whether the individual has or is likely to obtain thenecessary licenses can be made. For example, certain states may requirea producer's license. Generally speaking, each state has specificrequirements that must be met in order for an individual to obtain thelicense(s) needed to offer insurance in that state. In addition, thepotential agency principal may be required to obtain national licensessuch as a series 6 NASD license in order to sell or even partner in theselling of certain financial products. It should be noted that adetermination of whether an individual has the needed licenses may alsobe part of the screening process.

After the approval process is complete, in step 250, the agencyprincipal is prepared. The training of the potential agency principalmay be partially Internet based training, may be centralized training ormay be some combination of the two. In an embodiment, the training mayinclude real-time Internet based instruction. For example, onlinementoring may occur via a live, real-time, networked system using videorecorders configured for use over the network and may provide theability for the potential agency principal to view systems used by otheragents. Tests may be provided to verify that the agency principalcomprehends the material. If the tests are multiple choice or true falsetests, results may be provided to the potential agency principal over anetwork. An analysis of the test results may be used to determine areasof weakness or whether an individual would benefit from additionaltraining in a particular area. In an embodiment, the potential agencyprincipal may gain experience working with an existing agency principal.After it is determined that the individual sufficiently comprehends thematerial and is prepared to start, the individual may begin to work fromthe completed retail location.

It should be noted that FIG. 2 represents just one embodiment of a twotrack process. FIGS. 4 and 5, which represent tracks 212 and 211,respectively, illustrate some of the additional steps that may be takenin the tracks 211, 212. Additional steps may be added as desired anddepicted steps may be combined or omitted.

While additional details regarding timing of the two tracks will beprovided below, in an embodiment the two tracks may be completed in lessthan 4 months. Such a rapid production of a retail location allows forgreater market flexibility and responsiveness. In an alternativeembodiment, the two tracks may be completed in less than three months soas to provide an even more rapid market deployment. However, in analternative embodiment where there is less of a need to promptly deployanother retail location, the two tracks may be completed in about 8months or longer. As can be appreciated, additional time may allow formore time to be spent on selecting the site and/or negotiating terms andconditions of potential leases with a number of sites so as to ensurethe best value is obtained.

Turning to FIG. 3, an embodiment of a method of determining a site isillustrated. First, the geographical distribution of people in a generalarea that the company desires to expand into can be determined in step330. The general area could be a large region such as the Midwest, asmaller region such as a state, or a smaller region such as a county,city, zip code or other area. In an embodiment, the geographicaldistribution may be provided from census data. Next, in step 335, alocation of a geographical area is determined. The size of thegeographical area may vary, depending on the accuracy of the algorithmand the amount of information about the region that is available and thelocation of the geographical area may be based in part on adetermination of a location that is closest to the greatest number ofpeople in the overall region. As can be appreciated, a smallergeographic area may be more useful in more densely populated areas. Inan embodiment, the location of the geographic area could be determinedby finding a first area where the mean distance between the first areaand people within the region is at a minimum.

In an alternative embodiment, the location of other company retaillocations may also be considered so that the determination of thegeographic area is based on proximity to people having insufficientaccess to the company's services or an area expected to grow. Forexample, a first area could be a geographic area of interest if it has alocation value that approaches a maximum. In an embodiment, the locationvalue could equal a first value divided by a second value, where thefirst value equals the mean distance between multiple households in theregion and an existing company retail location, and the second valueequals the mean distance between the first area and the same multiplehouseholds in the region. Numerous other algorithms are possible fordetermining the location value and/or determining the geographic area ofinterest, depending on what factors are deemed important.

Next, in step 340, possible sites within the determined geographic areaare reviewed to determine whether the sites meet a minimum level ofqualifications. In an embodiment, sites next to less desirable types ofother businesses, such as adult bookstores, may be determined to beincompatible, or at least inconsistent, with the targeted demographicsor a company and/or brand image.

Then, if two or more sites are determined to be suitable sites based onsurrounding environmental factors, values for certain variables may bedetermined in step 345. These variables may represent factors such asproximity to the center of town, ease of entering and exiting the site,mean travel time for people in the region, the availability of parking,proximity to a competitor, proximity to easily discernable landmarks,traffic patterns, cost of floor space, the attractiveness of the site,the attractiveness of surrounding buildings and any other factors thatare determined to have a correlation with whether a retail location issuccessful. As is known, the relevant variables and coefficients for thevariables may be determined via known statistical techniques such asregression. It should be noted that different regions may have differentcoefficients to account for regional and cultural differences.

Once the variables and coefficients for a particular region aredetermined, in step 350 a site score is determined for each site. Thisallows the preferred site to be determined based on the values providedfor each variable. It should be noted that while a simple summing ofvalues of the variables multiplied by the determined coefficients may besufficient, additional steps such as dividing the score by the standarddeviation of the values may provide an indication as to which site isthe most consistent. Exponential weights for certain variables may alsobe useful for variables where a high value is particularly helpful inensuring the retail location is successful. However, as noted above, thesite with the highest value may not be selected.

FIGS. 4 and 5 provide an overview of the two tracks 211, 212. It shouldbe noted that additional steps may be required for either track. Forexample, some districts and towns require individuals doing businesswithin the district or town to obtain a permit before starting a newbusiness. And as noted in FIG. 5, individuals may need to obtainlicenses. If the individual is going to be working in the insuranceindustry, for example, typically the individual will need to obtain oneor more state licenses in order to offer insurance. In general, track211 relates to the preparation of the retail location and track 212relates to the preparation of the individual. It also should be notedthat while portions of the methods illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 requireindividuals to perform certain actions, each of the steps may be atleast partially performed on a computer. For example, a notificationthat it is time to order the furniture may be provided so that thefurniture is ordered in a timely fashion. Furthermore, the progress ofeach step may be maintained in a computer file so that progress chartsshowing the current level of progress can be provided as needed.

Looking at FIG. 4, an embodiment of track 211 is disclosed. In thediscussion that follows various time frames are given for the varioussteps. It should be noted that these steps may be done faster or slowerdepending on the desired overall time frame.

In step 410, a site search is initiated that may take about two to fiveweeks and preferably will take about three weeks. A very short timeperiod suggests a limited number of sites are available while a longerperiod will delay the overall process. The results of step 410 may beseveral sites, the details of which may be provided over the network(FIG. 1). Next in step 415, a site is selected and this may take aboutone to two weeks. Either currently or after step 415 is complete, alease is negotiated in step 420 and this activity may take about two tosix weeks, preferably about four weeks. Either currently or after step415 is complete, an office plan is created in step 425. The office planprovides for using the available space in an efficient manner and mayinclude, but is not limited to, the placement, movement or removal ofwalls along with a communication wiring plan that may show the placementof voice and/or data lines along with other low voltage wiring. Inaddition, after the site is selected, a phone number and location sitecode that is used to represent the retail location in the companydatabase may be ordered in step 430 and this activity may take about oneto two weeks.

Once the lease is negotiated and any required subleases are executed,build out of the retail location begins in step 440. The resultantretail location may resemble, for example, the retail locations depictedin FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 after about two to eight weeks, and in an embodimentthe build out may take about six weeks.

At some point after the site search is initiated, the sign processbegins in step 445. This may be a staged process that may include afirst stage for obtaining appropriate sign permits, a second stage fordesigning the sign to fit the requirements of the city and a third stagefor ordering the sign. The total time may be split into three two-weeksessions. Generally speaking, however, the signage will not be ordereduntil the site is selected.

In step 450, furniture is ordered and the process may take about one totwo weeks. In an embodiment the potential agency principal can order thefurniture over a network by reviewing various design options andselecting the option that is most appropriate. As part of the furnitureordering process, office equipment such as phones, computers, printers,copiers and the like may be ordered. Next, in step 455, phone and datalines may be ordered. If the ordering of computers and the like isincluded in this step, it may take about two to five weeks.

In step 460, the furniture is installed and next in step 465, thecomputer equipment is installed. Both steps may take about one to twoweeks. In step 470, the voice and data lines are connected/installed andthe various equipment is connected to the network and this process thatmay take about one to two weeks. Then, in step 475, the sign(s) is/areinstalled in a process that may take about one to two weeks.

Turning to FIG. 5, first in step 505, a potential agency principal isrecruited or selected from a list of applications, a process that maytake one to four weeks. Next in step 510, the individual is screened toensure the individual is both qualified and a good fit for the positionover a period of one to three weeks. In step 515, the individual appliesfor the needed state licenses. As the application process depends onstate requirements, the length of this process varies depending on thestate and the individual's qualifications.

In step 520, the individual can be submitted for approval and in step525, the individual obtains approval. The length of either process mayvary and may be about a week. It should be noted that the approval maybe contingent on the individual meeting other necessary qualifications.

In step 530, the individual can receive training. In an embodiment thetraining may take place in a central location and may take about four tonine weeks and preferably may take about seven weeks. This period mayinclude one to three weeks of mentoring with an experienced agencyprincipal. Then, in step 535, the individual is appointed an agencyprincipal. While numerous variations are possible, in an embodiment thepreparation of an agency principal may take about 16 weeks from start tofinish. It is noted that some delay may result if the training takesplace at a central location on a periodic basis. However, the processmay be shortened if the individual is familiar with the business of thecompany. Therefore, in an embodiment the preparation may range fromabout 8 to about 24 weeks.

An operating retail location may be sought so that consumers can obtainneeded services and the agency principal can assist the customers. In anembodiment the two tracks 211, 212 may begin substantiallysimultaneously. In an alternative embodiment the two tracks 211, 212 mayend substantially simultaneously. In another alternative embodiment, thetwo tracks 211, 212 may begin and end substantially simultaneously. Ascan be appreciated, simultaneous ending is perhaps more valuable but itis preferable that both tracks can begin and end substantiallysimultaneously so that any delay is minimized. Thus, if the track 212takes about 16 weeks then it is advantageous that the track 211 finishsubstantially simultaneously so that an operational retail location canbe quickly prepared.

It is noted that while various times to complete certain tasks have beendisclosed, some of this time may involve coordinating the schedules ofvarious individuals. If a calendar indicating the availability of eachperson that is scheduled to work on the establishment of the retaillocation is known, then it may be possible to schedule the tasks so thatsome of the delays are removed.

Looking now at FIG. 6, an embodiment of a system that may be used toenable aspects of the present invention is illustrated. It should benoted that components of the system depicted in FIG. 6 may be omitted orcombined as appropriate. As depicted, a company location 610 may includea server 620. The server 620 may be connected to a data uplink device640 positioned in a retail location 630. In an embodiment, the datauplink device 640 may be a computer connected to a network. In anembodiment, the data uplink device 640 may also include a link to aninformation vendor 680 that may allow the information vendor to accessor control a video module 650. In an alternative embodiment, the datauplink device 640 may be a simple network connection. It should be notedthat the depicted connections may be wireless. As illustrated, the datauplink device 640 is connected to the video module 650. In an embodimentthe video module 650 may include one or more video cameras that allowfor remote viewing of the retail location 630. The video module 650 maybe protected by a security code so that only authorized individuals mayuse it.

As depicted, the data uplink device 640 is connected to a remote node660. The remote node 660 may include a computer and/or a display that isconfigured to provide the pictures generated by the video module 650. Asnoted above, this may be directly accessed by the user or may be donethrough some intermediate steps such as logging onto a vendor web siteor the like. In an embodiment, the images may be provided insubstantially real time and the video module 650 may be configured torespond and vary the focus of the one or more webcams in response toinput provided at the remote node 660 or the server 620. Thus, the videomodule 650 allows for remote inspection of the retail location 630.

As can be appreciated, the server 620 may be connected to a network sothat the signals provided by the video module 650 may be distributed asneeded. In an embodiment, the remote node may be omitted and individualswishing to view the visual output of the video module 650 may access theserver 620. In an embodiment, the server 620 may be omitted and the datauplink device 640 may be connected to a wide area network such as theInternet so that individuals, represented by the remote node 660, mayaccess the video module 650 through the data uplink device 640 in aknown manner, regardless of their location.

As can be appreciated, the provision of remote video inspection, anembodiment of which is illustrated in FIG. 6, allows an individualtraining in one part of the country to remain aware of developmentshappening in the retail location. This can help ensure that, as tasksare completed, the various parties are quickly able to determine thetasks were correctly completed so that the next task may begin. Thisalso makes it much easier to, for example, provide training in a centralarea. In this manner, a simultaneous two track process for providing anoperational retail location can successfully proceed to completion in atimely and cost effective manner.

Turning to FIG. 7, an embodiment of a retail location 705 is depicted.The retail location 705 includes offices 710 and a reception area 720.In addition, the retail location 705 will include office equipment,which may be office furniture, computers, printers and the like. Forexample, one or more computers 730 may be provided in appropriatelocations. A network connection 740 may be provided to facilitate atelecommunication link and a data link with other locations. One or morephones 750 may be connected to the network connection 740. In anembodiment, the phones may be configured to provide audio signals viathe data link and therefore a single data connection may be the onlyconnection required for the retail location 705. As can be appreciated,decreasing the need for additional lines, whether they are data or voicelines, reduces the cost of running the retail location 705 and can savesubstantial money over a period of time. The one or more phones 750,which may be VOIP phones connected to a power over Ethernet hub, mayinclude voice mail and other standard features. The retail location 705may include a link such as shown in FIG. 6, which may be intermittent,to a company database such as the data repository 132 depicted inFIG. 1. In addition, the trend towards maximizing the use of space hasled to the creation of partitions, which may be used as individualoffices 710.

FIG. 8 illustrates an additional embodiment of a retail location 705illustrating additional features that may be provided. As depicted, theretail location 705 can include producer office 760, which may be apartitioned office, one or more graphic messaging areas 765, acoffee/fax/copy station 770, a conference area 775, a waiting area 780and a beacon sign 785. A storage/data area 790 also may be provided.

It should be noted that various features of FIGS. 7 and 8 may becombined to provide a different retail location 705 configuration.Furthermore, not all features need be included in a retail location 705.Instead, the retail location can be configured to aid in providing theappropriate functionality so that customers can be properly served. Itis noted that a retail location may initially start with a firstconfiguration but as more customers are helped, the retail location mayneed to be transformed to a second larger configuration. For example,additional offices may need to be added. Therefore, it may advantageousto select a site that provides the option of expanding the size of theretail location 705 after a period of time.

Several embodiments of the invention are provided below. These examplesdescribe only versions of a few embodiments of the invention. Theinvention is not limited to the examples described below and includesnumerous additional embodiments and versions. The examples should not beread to limit the disclosure of the invention in this application.

In an exemplary embodiment, an operative retail location is developedusing a method with a simultaneous two-track development process. Themethod comprises developing a retail location in a first track ofdevelopment, the first track including determining a site for the retaillocation; providing feedback regarding the progress of a build out ofthe retail location; and linking the retail location to a companydatabase. The method also comprises determining that an agency principalis ready to manage the retail location in a second track of development,the second track including determining that the agency principal passesa screening process; and determining the agency principal has met theminimum qualifications. In the method, the first track and the secondtrack are initiated and concluded substantially simultaneously.

In an embodiment, a retail location for an agency principal is preparedusing a method that includes determining a site location based on amarket evaluation; receiving a selection for a set of services fordeveloping the retail location; determining a timeline for building outthe retail location; providing feedback on the build out process to theagency principal; and linking the retail location to a company database.The market evaluation includes determining at least two possible sitesin a region that meet a predetermined minimum criteria; determining avalue for each of at least three variables for each site; anddetermining a site score for each site based, at least in part, on thesum of the values of the at least three variables. The determining atimeline includes determining a development timeline for building outthe retail site based on task inputs; and synchronizing the developmenttimeline with a training program for the agency principal.

In an embodiment, a turn-key retail location is provided to an agencyprincipal using a method including selecting a geographic area;obtaining a selection of a plurality of available sites in thegeographic area; determining the preferred site among the selection ofavailable sites based on a site score for each site; determining a buildout plan using the requirements for building out the preferred site inaccordance with a predetermined design plan; and providing informationon the progress of the build out of the retail location. The obtainingof a selection of a plurality of available sites includes receivinginformation regarding the plurality of available sites over a network;and determining values for at least three variables for each of theplurality of sites, the values determined by the information receivedover the network. The selecting of a geographic area includes receivingpopulation information about a geographic region; and determining anarea within the geographic region that provides acceptable access to asubstantial portion of people in the geographic region.

Thus, embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One skilled in the artwill appreciate that the above teachings can be practiced withembodiments other than those disclosed. The disclosed embodiments arepresented for purposes of illustration and not limitation, and theinventions are limited only by the claims that follow.

1. A method of developing an operative retail location with asimultaneous two-track development process, the method comprising: (a)developing a retail location in a first track of development, the firsttrack comprising: (i) determining a site for the retail location; (ii)coordinating feedback regarding the progress of a build out of theretail location; (iii) linking the retail location to a companydatabase; and (iv) determining that the retail location has met minimumrequirements to be opened to retail business; and (b) determining thatan agency principal is ready to manage the retail location in a secondtrack of development, the second track comprising: (i) determining thatthe agency principal has passed a screening process; and (ii)determining the agency principal has met minimum qualifications.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first track and the second track areinitiated substantially simultaneously.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein the first and second track are concluded substantiallysimultaneously.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the coordinating in(ii) comprises: (1) receiving updates through a network; (2) providing aremote view of the progress through a webcam connected to the network;and (3) providing instructions over the network.
 5. The method of claim1, wherein the first and second track are concluded substantiallysimultaneously.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first trackfurther includes: (v) determining a region for locating the site; and(vi) obtaining a negotiated lease for the site.
 7. The method of claim5, wherein the determining that the agency principal has met the minimumqualifications of (b)(ii) comprises: (1) verifying that the agencyprincipal has obtained a state license; and (2) determining that theagency principal has passed a training course.
 8. The method of claim 5,wherein the determining that the agency principal has met the minimumqualifications in (ii) comprises: (1) receiving a first indication thatnecessary licenses have been granted; and (2) receiving a secondindication that the training is complete.
 9. The method of claim 5,wherein the determining of the site in (a)(i) comprises: (1) determininga geographical distribution of individuals in a region; and (2)automatically selecting a portion of the region as being sufficientproximal to a sufficient number of individuals.
 10. The method of claim9, wherein the determining of the site in (a)(i) comprises: (1)determining that at least two possible sites in a region meet apredetermined minimum criteria; (2) providing data related to scores forat least three weighted variables for each possible site; and (3)selecting the preferred site based on a value of a combined score foreach of the at least two possible sites.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein the linking in (a)(iii) comprises: (1) linking a computer in theretail location with a company server, whereby proprietary company datamay be made available to the computer over a secured network.
 12. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first and second tracks are initiated andconcluded substantially simultaneously and the first and second tracksare concluded in about 4 months.
 13. A method of preparing a retaillocation for business in a region, comprising: (a) determining a desiredsite; (b) selecting an individual to operate the retail location; (c)preparing the individual to become an agent principal in a first track;and (d) preparing the retail location at the desired site in a secondtrack, wherein the first track ends substantially simultaneously withthe second track, and wherein the progress of the preparation of theretail location is remotely monitored over an IP network.
 14. The methodof claim 13, wherein the monitoring in (d) includes a visual inspectionof at least a portion of the retail location by the individual beingtrained.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining in (a)comprises: (i) determining an area in the region to locate the retaillocation; (ii) determining a separate score for each of a plurality ofpossible sites within the area; and (iii) selecting the desired sitebased on the score associated with the desired site.
 16. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the determining in (a) is done from a remote locationbased on information provided over an IP network and wherein the scorefor each of the plurality of sites is generated by aggregating a set ofcharacteristic values associated with the respective sites.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the preparing in (c) is conducted at acentral location remote from the desired site.
 18. The method of claim13, wherein the starting of the first and second track is substantiallysimultaneous.
 19. A method of preparing a retail location for use inoffering insurance in a region, comprising: (a) selecting an area forplacing the retail location based on the location of at least oneexisting retail location; (b) selecting an individual from a pool ofpotential agents principals based on the selected area; (c) preparing aretail location within the area in a first track; and (d) preparing theindividual to manage the retail location in a second track in a centrallocation distinct from the retail location, wherein the first and secondtrack conclude substantially simultaneously.
 20. The method of claim 19,wherein the first track and the second track are initiated substantiallysimultaneously.
 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the selecting in (a)comprises: (i) receiving information regarding the location of at leastone existing retail location; and (ii) determining the area to locatethe retail location based on geographical features of the region anddemographics of people within the region.
 22. The method of claim 19,wherein the selecting in (b) includes a determination of whether theindividual has a required license.
 23. The method of claim 19, whereinthe preparing in (c) comprises: (i) selecting a site from a plurality ofsites within the area; (ii) determining a plan for preparing the retaillocation at the site; and (iii) monitoring the progress of thepreparation of the retail location, wherein (i)-(iii) are done remotelyfrom the site.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the selecting in (i)comprises: (1) determining an aggregate score for each of the pluralityof sites within the area, the aggregate score composed of a weighted sumof characteristic scores for each respective site.
 25. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the preparing in (d) includes a mentoring period forallowing the individual to become proficient, the mentoring periodtaking place in an existing retail location.